A common current vehicle antenna in the related art is an antenna rod which is fastened to a base in a ball and socket configuration, i.e., the ball is disposed at the proximal end of the antenna for universal pivoting on the socket which is mounted to the base. One such apparatus comprises a socket having a plurality of slots within which the antenna may be radially disposed by user-selection. Another apparatus is window-mountable and comprises an outer cover being disposed at the base of the antenna and having a cross section being elongated in the direction of the vehicle's travel, the cover including an enlarged section covering a loading coil for resisting bending of the antenna due to aerodynamic loads. The antenna is provided with a conductive base which engages a conductive pivot support. This antenna may be pivoted to a position proximate to the surface of the vehicle for resisting bending and later repositioned for optimizing reception of a signal.
Another related art invention involves a vehicle antenna rod support which comprises a foot portion being adapted for affixation to a base and a pivotal joint being therein mounted. The pivotal joint has a socket provided with a slot for receiving a cylindrical body for a rotary motion only in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the foot portion. A terminal screw which forms the proximal end of the antenna rod projects through the slot and is threadably engaged into a diametrical bore of the cylindrical body. This cylindrical body has a cylindrical passage which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the foot portion. The cylindrical body is rotatably received in the passage only. A flange-style stop is affixed to the terminal screw outside the socket for being clamped against an external face of the socket upon threading the terminal screw into the bore. Yet another related art apparatus is directed toward a universal replacement antenna assembly for vehicles. An antenna mast is coupled to a mounting member having a lower body portion and an upper connecting portion. A plurality of rocker arms pivot from a lower end of the mounting member from an upright closed position to an open position, but never exceeding a range of 90 degrees from the closed position.
A related art satellite antenna apparatus comprises a pair of antenna assemblies being mounted in parallel on a rotatable platform. Each antenna assembly includes two sub-reflectors with a matching plastic element. The outputs of the two antenna assemblies are coupled with a single phase shifter. The combined outputs are retransmitted to a receiver which is located inside the vehicle. However, these related art antennas remain exposed to hazards, such as corrosion, accidental structural damage, vandalism, drag, fatigue, and flutter. Thus, a long-felt need is seen to exist for an antenna apparatus and a method which protects the antenna circuitry from such hazards.